Attendance data involving regional home-and-home football series games between NCAA Division I FCS PWIs (predominantly white institutions) and FCS HBCUs revealed that PWIs overwhelmingly fared better in home attendance compared to HBCUs.
HBCU Sports compiled a list of 64 MEAC and SWAC football games (obtained from official game box scores) dating back to 2009 that involved nonconference home-and-home series against PWIs.
The list shows that the home attendance of games played on PWI campuses had a higher stadium capacity percentage than those played on HBCU campuses.
From 2009 to 2019, the average stadium capacity percentage for the PWIs listed was 74.2% compared to 47.3% for the games played on HBCU campuses.
Grambling State (white) vs. Northwestern State (purple) in a 2018 game played at NSU’s Turpin Stadium. Photo: NSU Athletics
There were, however, some exceptions in which HBCU teams fared as well and even better than PWIs.
During the 2011-2012 home-and-home series between North Carolina Central and Elon, both schools recorded a stadium capacity of 67 percent. The attendance of the 2011 contest played at NCCU’s O’Kelly–Riddick Stadium (stadium capacity 10000) was 6722. In 2012, at Elon’s Rhodes Stadium (capacity 11250), the game’s official attendance was 7528.
South Carolina State’s 2014-2015 home-and-home series with Furman resulted in SCSU gaining the home attendance advantage. When the Bulldogs hosted Furman in their 2014 contest, the official box score recorded the attendance at 9,613, which is 44% capacity at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
The following year, Furman recorded that game’s attendance at 1,022 — which is six percent of Paladin Stadium’s capacity of 16,000 — however, the box score indicated the game was played in “steady rain.”
Morgan State had the higher home attendance in the Bears’ 2017-2018 home-and-home series against Towson. In the 2017 game, played at Johnny Unitas Stadium, which has a capacity of 11198, Towson’s home attendance was 6,563 (58% capacity).
When Morgan State hosted the game the following year in 2018 at Hughes Memorial Stadium (capacity 10001), the recorded attendance was 9,209 (92% capacity).
Morgan State vs. Townson in a 2018 game played at Hughes Memorial Stadium on the MSU campus. Photo: MSU Athletics
Division I HBCU/PWI home-and-home football series game attendance since 2009
Kenn Rashad is a journalist, author, and media entrepreneur serving as the Founding Publisher & Editor of HBCU Sports. He's also a proud graduate of Grambling State University.
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